Retired? In the immortal words of The Princess Bride’s Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
In 2015, I was “medically retired” after 25 years of active service in the U.S. Army, including 16 years of service as a Free Will Baptist chaplain. My retirement paperwork stated tersely, “You are no longer fit to continue service as a soldier.”
The transition from military life to a strange civilian world turned out to be far more painful than the injuries and wounds which made me “unfit” to continue serving in the Army. I remember praying, “Lord, what now?”
While others, and maybe even ourselves, may consider us to be too old and too broken, God never considers us as “unfit” to continue in His service. The word retired is not found anywhere in Scripture. Believers never retire from Christian service and will even serve God forever in glory. Though we may be physically unable to do all the things we once did, God still has a plan and a place for us in His service.
After several months of prayer and seeking, I received God’s “PCS” (Permanent Change of Station) orders to start the HOPE Project. What is the HOPE Project? The acronym HOPE stands for “Healing Our Patriots with Equines.”
True healing can only take place in finding hope in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:19). The idea for the HOPE Project came seemingly out of the blue in a conversation with some friends who told me you could help wounded warriors and veterans with horses. I was in! We moved to the Florida Panhandle and helped start the HOPE Project. You can’t be a paratrooper without “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane,” and you can’t walk on water if you don’t get out of the boat.
I really am proof of God’s sense of humor. I knew how to be a chaplain to the broken, wounded, and hurting, to those suffering from the scars of combat and countless other traumas. But I knew little about horses, equine therapy, starting and running a nonprofit, and fundraising. The good news is we serve an all-knowing God. I became certified to do equine therapy and am constantly amazed at all God is doing and has done for the last eight years. While I never claim to know what I am doing, God always does.
Why live in Florida and, unlike millions of others, not live “the retired life” on a beach or golf course? Why not spend time traveling the world and taking it easy for the years we have left? Why serve as the director/chaplain at the HOPE Project?
First, I am totally convinced this is God’s will for my life. Also, a recent study revealed that the suicide epidemic among active military and veterans is raging. As many as 44 take their own lives every day. Veterans desperately need the hope of Christ, which the VA and most other professional therapists cannot or will not share openly. Many see themselves as broken, useless, and “unfit.” All need a community of fellow veterans and believers who understand, and who help them find a true purpose for their lives in Jesus Christ. Our “unretired” service has eternal significance, and souls hang in the balance.
While I have learned much about horses, I have learned much more about God’s amazing grace as He continues to grow us and use us, even though we can’t do all the things we used to do. I’ve seen firsthand how God uses our scars to help others who are still bleeding.
Last month, God used us to share HOPE with 496 active military, veterans, first responders, their family members, and others. While I still don’t claim to know what I’m doing, I know God is at work doing what only He can do. I may be “Army old and Army broken,” but I am far from being retired! I can’t go AWOL during the fight. Daily, I’m reminded this life is truly just a vapor, but eternity is forever. As I constantly say to my struggling veterans, “Move out! Draw fire!”
About the Writer: Former chaplain Dr. David Trogdon retired from the U.S. Army in 2015 after 33 years of military service, including 25 years of active duty. He currently serves as the director of the HOPE Project, which serves soldiers and families, wounded warriors, and veterans. For more about the HOPE Project, visit hopeprojectinc.org.
